Getting back to the excitement of the inland opener is something that I, well ignored for a few years. Having fishable waters close by year round and a tourny schedule that usually had me elsewhere on opening day.
Pre-opener(Friday), Pete and I decided to try the Chippewa river for a few hours. We decided to try a spot a few miles down river from where we had been fishing. Some cold wind and rain and too much water moving made the spot pretty much unfishable. It was good to get out on the water anyway and Kota enjoyed his wet romp through the weeds and mud. He had been taking it easy for a few days after a minor surgery.
After a few quick checks of the boat for Saturdays use, it was time relax catch a few winks and wait for 3:00AM.
At 3:00 Put the coffee on, load the boat, pull it out of the garage- all in a stiff breeze and snow!
I knew that the conditions would make it tough this year. Especially compared to last when close to everyone had their limit in less than a hour. Besides the rain a colder air temps, the biggest factor was the water temp being 12 degrees colder. Another major factor was the anount of water moving through the system. With the stronger current and wind blowing mostly downstream, our best bet was to start out dragging jigs. After a few passes the first fish of the day was boated. A nice 19 incher taken on hair.
The next presentation would be pitching rocky shoreline. Pete decided to give this a try and got on some fast action. This method put the most fish in the boat today. Pitching jigs tipped with minnows into two to four foot of water. After the day brightened up, dragging jigs in 12 to 16ft range boated the rest of our fish.1/4 ounce Hairjigs tipped with either minnow or leeches worked best for us.
Steve boated a couple nice pickeling size pike using the same method.
Up closer to the dam there is a good whitebass bite going. Finding a slackwater water area in the river will also produce some crappie action.
I would say things are about two weeks behind last year so the best is yet to come. See ya on the water.
NICE REPORT DON,YOUR BOAT DID ALOT BETTER THAN MOST OUT THERE INCLUDING MINE
.LIKE YOU SAY I THINK BETTER FISHING IS YET TO COME ON THE LOCAL POND.
Good job guys and nice fish, looks like this week I will finally get out there.
Jeremy
Good seeing you out there Woody and your fishing partners too.
.
Jeremy, pitching and dragging Deans favorite color hairjig is the best way to go right now
Thanks for the update Don. I missed WI opener this weekend, but will make up for it next weekend.
Jason are you hitting Wissota or headed my way?
I’m headed out to Alex for the MN opener. First Wissota trip will probably be next week.
Good job boys!!!!!!!!
Thats right, I forgot that you head up that way. With the temps. that the water will be, i think your lake choice will be right on. Good luck.
It was a good day on the water and the northerns are going in their final brine this evening. Hopefully the next trip out will be a bit warmer.
Steve
Hoping for tomorrow after work for the first Menomin trip for me
. The reports I have gotten, seems many walleyes are still up in the river with the increased flow, that will most likely be my starting point.
Jeremy
The current seam action is pretty good right now. It looks like the water went up some more yesterday. Good luck out there.
Had water temp of 51 yesterday. Woody, get those cranks ready!
hello everyone, i am new to this forum. always looking for good info on lake menomin, have a uncle there that always says one of the most under appreciated lakes for the mighty eye. was out there on opener and had no luck one dinker eye under the bridge, i live in spring valley and looking to make menomin my new lake of choice. what can i expect in the next month fishing on menomin. i have tried under the 94 bridge and never really had much luck. do the fish have a regular pattern on this lake, shallow now and deeper twords the summer? would you consider this lake more of a weed walleye lake, what i mean is i have seen shows where the lake is weed dominate and you can usally catch walleys year round. any info would help.
Transition, not a bad bet to stick to the river portion of the system for awhile yet. With temps in the low to mid 50’s, the fish are just entering the post-spawn period. Livebait rigs or jigs and plastic are a good choice.Slide down on the lake when the fish enter their pre-summer pattern, around 60 degrees.
I look at it more as a reservoir than a weedline lake. Following the channel edges through the lake as the season progresses is always a good option. At 58 to 60 degrees, I will start trolling cranks on the lake.Look to the weeds and deeper breaks As the fish enter their summer peak at around 70 degrees. I will usually switch up to running 3 ways at this point.As the water temps start falling, reverse the order and follow the fish back into the river system.
That is just a general idea of how I fish the system. I know guys that never leave the river and they do fine. Also guys that only fish the weeds or manmade structure and do fine.
The photo is from yesterday. A 21″ taken from the main channel.
thanks for the info Don, i hope to get out with my uncle steve sometime to learn his patterns. he said last fall he just hammered them shallow. we were in that same spot where you took that picture on opening weekend but the one 9in walleye wasnt going to get a picture.